Soaker Dough for Pizza, working outside today, and getting free perennials 8/6/2011

Well, I guess I am going to try a dough with a soaker.  I am not sure how to go about this method, but did mix the some of the wheat grains I did grind, and also mixed some Ultragrain whole wheat flour with the mixture of water and salt. I am not sure if I am going to use the wheat berry starter or my milk kefir starter to levain this dough when it is made.  The soaker sat out at room temperature all day. Now I will put the soaker into the refrigerator until tomorrow, when I mix the final dough.  I think I am going to use the Ultragrain whole wheat flour with another flour in the final dough.  Hopefully I am going about the procedure of making a dough with a soaker right.

I spent the better part of the day working outside, and someone that lives near me wanted to get rid of some of their perennials, so I got my trusty old wagon and shovel and walked to their place and dug out some of the perennials and flowers they didn’t want.  Anytime there is something for free, I am happy, and I also love getting any kind perennials I don't already have. I planted all the perennials shown in the pictures today. I picked some more tomatoes today for pizza sauce or just for other foods. I did make meatballs today, that I used some of Les's sauce. The tomatoes in the picture were used to make the sauce.  I was picking around my one tomato plant, and saw something that looked weird on the one tomato plant leaves.  Here it was a dead tomato hornworm, that still had the wasp larvae on it.  I didn’t notice that the tomato hornworm was eating at that tomato plant.  My guess is that the tomato hornworm was eaten by the wasp larvae before the tomato hornworm did any damage to my tomato plant. I did make a second trip with my wagon to get some more perennials, but will get them planted tomorrow.

Norma

Taking Care of my Tomato Plants & herbs for pizza and sauces 8/03/2011

I worked on some of my tomato plants and gardening for about 2 hrs. this morning.  I always try to trim off any dead leaves or places I did pick tomatoes from the plants.  These are how some of my tomato plants are doing and also a few pictures of places I didn't stake the plants to see what would happen.  I also think I took a picture of some of my basil.

Norma

Frank Pinello’s (Best Pizza, Brooklyn NY) recipe for “Pickled Vegetables” for Pizza

This is Frank Pinello’s recipe for “Pickled Vegetables” for Pizza on Slice.  http://slice.seriouseats.com/archives/2011/03/how-to-make-best-pizza-williamsburg-pickled-vegetable-pizza.html 

Article about Frank Pinello on Slice, “Pizza Obsessive’s”  http://slice.seriouseats.com/archives/2011/08/pizza-obsessives-frank-pinello-of-best-pizza.html 

Norma

Two Cracker-Style Pizzas..one from rolled out skin and one laminated from scrap dough..8/02/2011

I used the skin and scrap dough to make two cracker-style pizzas tonight.  For the skin, I didn’t dock, just to see what would happen.  I don’t think I baked long enough on the second bake with the skin, because my bottom crust didn’t get dark enough.

For the scrap dough, I divided it into four pieces ,and put it into proofing box to warm-up. I rolled the four scrap dough pieces really thin, then buttered in between the layers, then rolled some more, then docked on both sides.  The weight of the scraps doughs together, after being cut round was 124 grams.

Norma

Cracker-style pizza with 4 laminated skins.